Dig help

[carpetman]

Hey guys, I'm going to be digging a shelter this week in Kentucky, and was wondering if anybody had any tips on where to start and how deep? I'm new to this digging as I have only creek and field hunted. Any tips or help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[The Grim Reaper]

You want to start outside the drip line on the front slope and then work your back into the shelter. I have seen some really nice piece found on the outside slope of some shelters. As far as depth, it varies on spot to spot. You can go all the way to the bedrock on some of them and there will be artifacts all the way down and then on some onece you reach a certain layer the pieces stop. Just go until you stop fining any kind of Bone, Shell, Flint, Pottery, or anything else that may be midden associated and then go just a little deeper to make sure. Make sure you sift all the dirt so you don't miss any small items like Beads. Check all Bones for polished tips or drilled holes.

Good luck and let us know how you are doing.

[carpetman]

Thanks for the help SRV, I just got back from the shelter that I was going to dig and found that all of the spring floods filled it in with about 3-5 feet of extra dirt, so I'll just have to dig another one. The good thing is there are numerous shelters around. I will post all of my finds when I get home. And once again thanks for the help.

[1320]

The artifacts (or lack of) will dictate just how deep you go and to an extent, your back will also give you an indication. Your perseverance will play as big a part as anything, especially when you hit those "dry" spells. For example, one shelter that I'm digging in has an 18 inch void that runs the entire 300 feet length of the shelter. That equates to several dump truck loads of sand with little more than sandstone pebbles. But hey, under that 18 inches....... That doesn't mean that every shelter has artifacts at that level, your test holes will dictate how deep you go.

More advice? Wait until late Fall (much cooler), take a buddy, first aid kit, plenty to drink, bug spray, Tylenol, cell phone and toilet paper. Use a small, light weight sifter and a short handled pointed nose shovel and by all means...use gloves. Obviously watch out for snakes but also be on alert for yellow jackets this time of year.

[WV sifter]

Ive dug a few shelters and, yes do start at the front of the overhang that way you can sift your dirt even further out from the shelter(wouldnt wanna cover good ground with sift piles),i learned that lesson long ago when I began to dig a shelter from the inside/underneath and ran right into my own siftpiles when i began to find alot of decent points,just made 4 more work,as for depth i usually dig down to clay,anywhere from a foot deep to three feet depending on times of occupation...good luck

[carpetman]

I started my dig yesterday, only found 2 broken Madison points and thousands of flint chips. There is only 2 feet of dirt in this shelter under that is solid sandstone. So it should be easy going.

[1320]

Sounds like an easy dig! Put up some pics, even if they are broken.

[buzzgator]

Keep at it! Most points I find n shelters come from just outside not actually inside. Now inside is where all the pottery and bone always seems to be for me. Good luck n lets see sum pics!

[1320]

Keep at it! Most points I find n shelters come from just outside not actually inside. Now inside is where all the pottery and bone always seems to be for me. Good luck n lets see sum pics!

What is outside today likely was inside several thousand years ago Many a shelter has been passed up because it lacks "overhang". Sandstone shelters can erode in a hurry. Good advice Buzz

[1320]

Carpetman, if you look close in the attached photos, there are several areas in this shelter that the previous diggers must have thought they had hit the bottom. Turns out, these gigantic rocks were not the bottom of the shelter but most likely usable parts of the shelter 8,000 years ago. Based on the amount of artifacts that have been found in and around the rocks (depth is 4 to 5 feet), chances are the archaic people were using them as work benches.

[carpetman]

I dug some more today, 1320 you were right, what I thought was the floor, turned out to be a huge rock. I'm done for now, but am coming back in late fall.Total- 4 brokes, 1 whole, and 1 small scraper or blade.

[1320]

I dug some more today, 1320 you were right, what I thought was the floor, turned out to be a huge rock. I'm done for now, but am coming back in late fall.Total- 4 brokes, 1 whole, and 1 small scraper or blade.

Wow CM, that's awesome! Great job

[WV sifter]

keep at it man,shelters can require alot of persistance along with some patience,(DO NOT get discouraged)best part is ,most of my finer quality points were all found during shelter digs Although the cornfield ive been searching is begining to turn up some goodies too.